Wednesday, March 25, 2009

A Sweet Spin on Candy

Most people believe that cotton candy, also known as “candy floss” in England or “fairy floss” in Australia, is a summer treat for carnivals and fairs. But we here at The Candy Store think it should be available year-round—so we make it fresh every single day!

There are many different stories spinning around about where this sugary treat originated. Quite a number of people have claimed the very first patent on the modern-day cotton-candy machine, the most common story being that it was introduced at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904. Even though the machine may have been a fairly recent invention, the idea of cotton candy goes back hundreds of years! Beginning in places as far away as Iran and Italy, people would melt down sugar in order to lift it in strands that would then be placed over an upside-down bowl. The strands would solidify once cooled, and then the sugar would be lifted from the bowl, creating a nest shape. This was quite time-consuming and messy, however, and not one of the easiest ways to create an everyday treat.

Luckily for us, The Candy Store has its very own cotton candy machine (big thanks to whoever did originally patent that helpful invention). Cotton candy is sticky as well as sweet, so sometimes making it can get a bit messy! But all this history and hard work behind cotton candy only make this melt-in-your-mouth treat even more delightful! Drop by and try some of our fresh cotton candy—whenever!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Sweets for the School-aged

March break is here, and with the weather beginning to warm up again, it’s the perfect time to take a stroll down to The Candy Store and pick yourself up a treat!It’s been a tough winter, and you’ve hopefully been working hard at your homework, so while school is out, reward yourself with some snack-sized sweets.Grab-bags are tucked away all over our store! These two-dollar delights are just enough for a quick fix!We’ve been thinking about how to beat boredom over March break, and have come up with a sweet way to have fun with candy: try using our Assorted Chews gum, a delicious tart gum in pink and blue, as checker pieces! click here download our printable Candy Store checker board, and you can get gaming right away. The best part is, when you overtake your opponent’s piece, you get to eat it! (Make sure to get enough if you plan on playing more then once!)You can also try our gumballs. We have a great selection of big and small, sweet, sour, and sprinkled! Try something different—a Hawaiian pineapple or Coffeetime gumball, anyone? Or maybe a super-sweet Tootsie Pop, the first lollipop to contain a soft and chewy surprise centre!For something extra-special (or if you just can’t decide), give our tickle sticks a taste. A candy kebab with a selection of all our favourite gummy candies? How could you possibly go wrong?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Going Green

With spring just around the corner and St. Patrick’s Day in a week, we’ve gone green at The Candy Store! Whether you’re planning on a quiet evening in with stew and stout or painting the town green, we’ve got treats in a variety of emerald hues to sweeten your day. No cookie is complete without a little embellishment such as Kelly green Milkies. And Peas & Carrots, a minty and sweet candy, will make them look twice at the dessert table. We’ve also got your little leprechauns covered with gold coins for their end o’ the rainbow pots.

Even our cupcakes are celebrating the 17th – one of this weekend’s flavours highlight one of the most popular “green” flavours: Chocolate Chocolate Mint. A chocolate cupcake filled with chocolate ganache and topped with a smooth chocolate mint buttercream will have you seeing green!

So for the Irish and the Irish at heart, have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day and we’ll see you at The Candy Store!

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Living in Ottawa

What are you up to on Friday, March 6th? We know what we’ll be doing! We’ll be tuning in to CBC to see The Candy Store on Living in Ottawa! That’s right, your favourite local sweet spot is going to be featured on “your guide to better living in Ottawa” this upcoming Friday at 3PM. Maureen Welch stopped by the store to spend some time with store owner Diane Lenihan discussing candy buffets and treats – you won’t want to miss it!

And you know what’s even better? You don’t have to be home on Friday afternoon or even live in Ottawa to catch us on Living in Ottawa! After Friday you can watch the segment on Living in Ottawa’s website, www.cbc.ca/livinginottawa where you can search for the video by date (March 6) or segment title (Candy Store). We’d love to hear what you have to say about the segment so please drop by the blog to comment or send us an email to let us know what you thought!